Collapsible brush



y 1961 P. KAY'E ETAL 2,981,965

COLLAPSIBLE BRUSH Filed May 15, 1957 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I VENTOR5 Pkzlzp aye BY fa warol E. Tait:

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Filed May 15, 195'? U ed S tes. Pa en COLLAPSIBLE BRUSH Philip Kaye, Norridge, and Edward E. Tate, Chicago, Ill., assignors to Lester R. Peilet, Hillsborough, Calif.

Filed May 15, 1957, Ser. No. 659,319

1 Claim. (Cl. '15203) A further object is to provide a new and improved col lapsible brush in which the bristles are locked in their erected position, yet are easily movable between their erected and retracted positions.

Another object is to provide a new and improved collapsible brush in which the bristles are biased to their retracted position and are movable to their erected position by means of a slidable element adapted to be locked with the bristles erected.

It is another object to provide a new and improved collapsible brush which is extremely compact, attractive in appearance, and easy to operate, yet is low in cost.

Further objects; and advantages of the present invention will appear from the following description, taken with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a collapsible brush which will be described as an illustrative embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the collapsible brush.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the brush with the bristles collapsed.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the brush.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view, taken generally along the section line in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan view with parts removed and broken away.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing the bristles in erected positions.

Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view taken generally along a line 88 in Fig. 5. v

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 but with the bristles erected.

.As already indicated, the drawings illustrate a collapsible or folding brush 10 having bristles 12 'which are movable between erected and retracted positions with respect to a casing or body 14. It will be seen that illustratedcasing 14 is in the form of a hollow, generally channel-shaped shell having a main or bottom wall 16 with a pair of side walls or flanges 18 extending upwardly therefrom. The casing is also provided with a pair of end-walls or flanges 20 and 21 extending upwardly from the bottom wall 16 and closing the ends of the casing. The upper side of casing 14 is open but is adapted to be closed by a cover-plate '22 to be described in detail shortly.

It will be apparent that the illustrated bristles 12 are formed on a plurality of bristle shafts 24. Each shaft 24 and the corresponding bristles 12 may be molded as a single piece from plastics or the like. Suitable plastics include vinyl, nylonland polyethylene. Each shaft is formed with a pair of pivots or trunnions 26 which are journaled in the side walls 18. It will be seen that the ice formed in the thick lower portion 28. Each notch 34 has a semi-circular bottom portion 36 which forms a bearing for one of the trunnions 26.

The bristle shafts 24 are retained in the body 14 by the cover-plate 22, which has a pair of longitudinal side flanges 38 adapted to extend downwardly into the body 14 and seat against the ledge 32. Thus, the flanges 38 confine the trunnions 26 to the notches 34, as shown to best advantage in Figs. 8 and 9.

Slots 40 are formed in the cover-plate 22 to afiord passage for the bristles 12 as they move between their erected position, shown in Figs. 7 and 9, and their collapsed position shown in Figs..5 and 8. In this case, the coverplate 22 has one slot 40 for eachof the bristles 12. Each bristle 12 is outwardly tapered in form, and each slot 40 is correspondingly tapered. As shown in Fig. 7 each bristle 12 is adapted to abut against the cover-plate 22 at one end 42 of the corresponding slot 40 when the bristles 12 are in their erected positions. Thus, the portions of the cover-plate 22 at the ends 42 of the slots 40 act as stops to limit erecting movement of the bristles 12.

In this case, the cover-plate 22 is detachably mounted in the body 14. Various means may be employed to retain the cover-plate 22 while providing for removal thereof. In this case, one end of the cover-plate 22 is formed Y of the cover-plate 22 is adapted to be received in a recess 50 formed in the top of the other end wall 21. In the illustrated construction, two similar catch fingers 52 are mounted on the plate 22 and are arranged to extend downwardly into the body 14 adjacent to the end wall 21..

. Interengageable detent elements 54 and 56 are formed shafts 24 extend transversely between the side walls 18 and are substantially parallel to one another.

More specifically, each side wall 18 has a relatively thick lower portion-28 and a relatively thin upper portion '30.. An, upwardly facing ledge 32 is defined between the lowerand upper portions 28' and 30. Thetrunnions on the catch fingers 52 and the end wall 21 for removably Q retaining the catch fingers in the body 14. In this case, the detent elements 54 take the form of grooves or notches in the catch fingers 52, while the detent elements 56 consist of rounded projections extending inwardly from the end wall 21. The projections 56 are adapted to snap into the grooves 54 when the cover-plate 22 is pushed downwardly into the body 14; By exertion of a. small amount of force, the cover-plate 22 may be re-'* moved from the body 14 when the brush is to be inspected, cleaned or disassembled.

The illustrated cover-plate 22 is stamped or otherwise formed from sheet metal, but it will be realized the cover-plate may be molded or otherwise formed from plastics or other suitable materials. In order to provide for simultaneous actuation of the bristle shafts 24, each shaft is provided with a gear segment 60 on a portion of its underside as shown to best advantage in Figs. 7 and 8. The gear segment '60 is adapted to mesh with a gear rack 62 formed on the upper side of an actuating bar 64 which is slidable longitudinally in the body 14. It will be seen from Figs. 8 and 9 that a guide channel 66 is formed in the bottom wall,16.of the body 14 to confine the bar 64 for longitudinal sliding movement. The bar 64 is movable between I the position shown in Fig. 7, with the bristles 12 erected and the position shown in Fig. 5 with the bristles retracted. In this case, a spring 68 is employed to bias the bar 64 toward the second or bristle retracting position. The illustrated spring 68 is interposed between the end wall 20 and one end of the bar 64. A recess '70 is formed under a ridge or projection 72 on the end wall 20f=to retain spring '68. Similarly, a spring retaining groove or recess 74 is formed-under an overhanging flange or lip 76 'on the end of the bar 64. In this case, the spring 68 is inthe term of a flat wirecompression spring having a pair of crossed diagonal legs 78 joined by a transversely extending portion 80.

The bar 64 is adapted to be actuated by a second bar or link 82. A pinor other element 84 on the link 82 extends outwardly of the body 14 through a slot 86 formed in the bottom wall 16. In this case, the outer end of the pin 84 is provided with a head or button '88 adapted to be manipulated by the thumb or one finger of the user.

A connection is provided between the link 82 and the bar 64 in such a manner that the bar 64 will be slid longitudinally when the link 82' is moved in one direction. At the same time, the connection provides for lateral swinging or shifting movement of the link. In the illustrated construction, an upwardly projecting flange or hook 90 is formed on the end of the link 82 opposite from the pin 84. It will be seen from Fig. that the spring 68, acting on one end of the bar 64 biases the opposite end of the bar against the hook or flange 90 on the link 82. The hook 90 engages the end wall 21 to limit movement of the bar 64 under the biasing action of the spring 68. It will be apparent that the bar 64 may be shifted to the bristle erecting position of Fig. 7 by pushing the button or head 88 to the left.

It will be seen from Figs. 4 and 6 that the slot 86 has a longitudinal portion 94 which guides the pin 84 during longitudinal movement thereof between bristle erecting and bristle retracting positions. Provision is made for retaining the pin 84 in the position in which the bristles are erected. Thus, the slot 86 has a lateral portion 96 extending transversely from one end of the longitudinal portion 94. The link 82 is locked in its bristle erecting position by moving the pin 84 into the lateral portion 96 of the slot 86.

It will be seen from Figs. 5 and 6 that the link 82 is disposed under the bar 64 and is received in a channel or recess 98 formed in the bottom wall 16, along a portion of the guide channel 66 for the bar 64. The recess 9-8 is shaped to allow for the lateral swinging movement of the link 82 when the pin 84 is moved into the locking portion 96 of the slot 86.

When the bristles 12 are collapsed as shown in Figs. 3, 5, 6 and 8, the bristles are entirely retracted beneath the cover-plate 22 and into the casing 14. The brush may then be carried very conveniently in the users pocket or handbag.

The bristles 12 may be erected or extended, simply by pushing the bottom 88 to the left from the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5. This slides the link 82 to the left. The hook 90 on the link 82 pushes the bar 64 to the left, against the resilient force of the spring 68. The

gear rack 62 on the bar 64 acts upon the gear segments 60 so as to rotate the bristle shafts 24 to their bristle erecting positions of Fig. 7. Such erecting movement is limited by the engagement of the bristles 12 with the ends 42 of the slots 40 in the cover-plate 22. The bristles are locked in the erecting position by pushing the button 88 laterally so as to move the pin 84 into the lateral locking portion 96 of the slot 86.

The brush 10 may be collapsed simply by pushing in an opposite lateral direction on the button 88 so as to disengage the pin 84 from the lateral portion 96 of the slot 86. The spring 68 will then return the bar 64 to the right, whereupon the gear rack 62' will rotate the bristle shafts 24 so as to retract the bristles 12, as shown in Fig. 5.

The collapsible brush is extremely compact, as will be apparent from Figs. 1-4, which illustrate the brush approximately full size. In appearance the brush is ex tremely neat and attractive, both with the bristles erected, as in Figs. 1 and 2, and with the bristles retracted as in Figs. 3 and 5. The bristles lock positively in their erected positions, so that the brush may be used to very good advantage. The operation of the button to erect and collapse the bristles is easily mastered by any user.

. .Itis .a simplematter to. inspect, clean; and disassemble- Cit the brush. When this is to be done, the cover-plate is pulled oil the body, whereupon the bristle shafts and the other moving parts may be removed. It is easy to reassemble the parts to restore the brush to operating condition.

With all of its advantages, the brush is easy to manufacture and low in cost. All of the parts are easily fabricated and assembled.

Various amplifications, alternative constructions and equivalents may be employed without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention, as exemplified in the foregoing description and defined in the following claim.

We claim:

A folding brush, comprising a generally channel-shaped casing having a pair of sidewalls with a bottom wall extending therebetween, a plurality of generally parallel bristle shafts rotatably received in said casing and extending between said side walls, said side Walls having generally semi-circular bearing recesses therein for supporting said shafts, each of said shafts having a plurality of bristles thereon, each of said shafts being rotatable between a first position with said bristles extending upwardly from said casing and a second position with said bristles swung laterally and downwardly into the confines of said casing, a first bar mounted in said casing for longitudinal sliding movement along said bottom wall, said bottom wall having a groove therein receiving and guiding said first bar, said bar having a gear rack formed on the upper side thereof, each of said bristle shafts having a gear segment thereon meshing with said rack, said bar being movable in opposite directions along said groove to swing said bristle shafts between said first and second positions, said first bar having first and second opposite ends, a spring acting between said casing and said first end of said bar and biasing said bar in a direction to swing said bristle shafts into said second position with said bristles retracted into said casing, a second bar for moving said first bar in the opposite direction against the biasing action of said spring, said second bar being disposed between said first bar and said bottom wall, said groove having a deepened and widened portion for receiving said second bar, said second bar having one end turned up to form a hook portion engaging said second end of said first bar, said second bar being generally parallel to said first bar but being swingable relative thereto about said hook portion, said bottom wall having a generally L-shaped slot extending therethrough, said slot having a longitudinal leg extending generally longitudinally of said casing and a lateral leg extending generally transversely of said casing, the opposite end of said second bar having a pin thereon extending outwardly through said slot for selectively operating said second bar, said pin being movable along said longitudinal leg of said slot to swing said bristles into said first position with said bristles erected and then being movable into said lateral leg of said slot to retain said bristles in erected position, and a cover-plate mounted on said casing opposite said bottom wall and having a plurality of slots therein affording passage for said bristles in moving between said first and second positions, said cover-plate having a pair of flanges thereon extending into said casing adjacent said side walls and retaining said bristle shafts in said bearing recesses.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,141,662 Bridges June 1, 1915 1,592,510 Toepperwein July 13, 1926 2,486,203 Pieper Oct. 25, 1949 2,604,649 Stephenson et al July 29, 1952 2,645,804 Gantz et al July 21, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,287 Great Britain -..s Jan. 28, 1886 

